Set realistic goals that you know you can achieve

I knew I had to set realistic goals in order to become fitter – not feeling too out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs, for example. I began by increasing my step count, which was difficult at first as I’ve been working from home for nearly three years; there’s not always a reason for me to leave the house.

Morning walks didn’t work for me – I’d rather snooze than force myself to walk. But lunchtime walks to the park or supermarket to pick up my grocery shopping worked just fine. After work, I started walking to the gym, and if I hadn’t reached my 10,000 steps by that point, I’d hop on the treadmill and walk to that goal.

Choose beginner workouts

I also started watching beginner strength training videos, learning about targeted muscle workouts and compound movements. I didn’t want to build muscle per se, but lifting lighter weights and getting used to moving my body weight felt important. I knew that the next time I found myself trying a new activity, strength training would make it less of an issue.

Understand your hormones or particular health challenges

Ironically, the week I started strength training, I also got my first period in six months. I have PCOS, so irregular periods are something I’m all too accustomed to. But six months without a drop of blood felt long, even for me.

“After years of being seen as weak, this was the moment I realised I needed to get stronger”